10/12/2009

The Sedona Sweat Lodge Tragedy, Part IV: How Do You Build A Sweat Lodge?

James Arthur Ray’s retreat at Sedona’s AngelValley resulted in the tragic death of two otherwise healthy people. To understand what might have gone wrong, let’s look at how a sweat lodge is traditionally built.

First, a sweat lodge is usually a temporary structure, and that’s worth noting. Although they had very practical benefits (see my prior post, “What Is A Sweat Lodge?”), the truth is that it isn’t only being in one that is the ritual. Even building it is part of the ceremony. In such a tradition, a ceremony doesn’t only have a beginning: It must have an ending. So the ceremonial tradition dictated that just as a sweat lodge is constructed, so it must be de-constructed once the healing is complete.

Second, a sweat lodge is traditionally constructed of the most basic elements. The structure often looks like a small dome. In the American Northeast, this is the essential structure of a Native American wigwam; in the Southwest, we call it a wikiup (also spelled, wickiup). It contrasts with the tall, narrow top of the traditional tipi (or tee-pee) of native peoples of the American plains. On top of the structure of sticks and branches, blankets and brush provide a covering.

Third, as the structure is being built, the critical rocks are prepared. Stones are heated in a fire pit through the day, reaching high temperatures over many hours. Then the stones are carefully placed in a dug-out area at the center of the dirt floor in the lodge structure. Participants sit on the ground, and with the simple pouring of water on the stones, an intense, hot steam fills the lodge.

With the structure built and the rocks in place, the tribal healer – who had supervised the building – would then invite the person or people required for the ceremony.